Spatial Governance and Planning in Latin America

A Comparative Account

Juan E. Cabrera, Francesca Blanc, Giancarlo Cotella

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English

Routledge
06 November 2025

Regional studies; Ethnic studies; Human geography; Urban & municipal planning; Civil engineering, surveying & building

This book is the first to provide an in-depth discussion of spatial governance and planning systems (SGPSs) in Latin America, with analysis and comparison across 10 different countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. The primary function of SPGSs is to empower the public sector to exert control over spatial development. Originally understood mainly through a legal paradigm, it is now acknowledged that a range of informal institutions also play a role, responding to societal and community needs that the state or market is unable to address. This collection teases out these contrasting influences, highlighting the role of indigenous culture in certain contexts, and the increase of participatory processes in others. The book features not only individual country case studies, but also chapters discussing the broader themes, as well as how the Latin American context compares to the European one. A timely contribution to this evolving topic, the book will appeal to students and scholars in the fields of planning, urban and regional studies, public policy, and human geography.

Edited by: Juan E. Cabrera, Francesca Blanc, Giancarlo Cotella
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 470g
ISBN: 9781032484822
ISBN 10: 1032484829
Pages: 228
Publication Date: 06 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Foreword 1. Exploring spatial governance and planning in Latin America. An introduction 2. Extending comparative spatial governance and planning studies to the Global South. Tinkering with concepts and methods 3. Spatial governance and planning in Argentina. The case of Paraná, Entre Ríos 4. Spatial governance and planning in Bolivia. Living Well in the Plurinational State 5. Spatial governance and planning in Brazil. The complementarity of ex-ante and ex-post planning activities 6. Spatial governance and planning in Chile. Institutional constraints and parallel forms of planning 7. Spatial governance and planning in Colombia. The Land Use Master Plan of Medellin 8. Spatial governance and planning in Cuba. The socialist planning system 9. Spatial governance and planning in Ecuador. Tensions between formality and informality in Rumiñahui 10. Spatial governance and planning in Mexico. Urban planning and blurred limits in Merida 11. Spatial governance and planning in Peru. Social and political regulation in Huancayo, beyond the State-Market dichotomy 12. Spatial governance and planning in Uruguay. The case of Colonia del Sacramento 13. A comparative overview of Latina American spatial governance and planning systems. Towards a research agenda

Juan E. Cabrera is an urbanism professor and a researcher at Universidad Privada Boliviana (UPB) and the Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Bolivia. Since 2024, he has been Secretary of the Latin American Association of Urban Planners (ALPU), as well as the founder of the Bolivian Institute of Urbanism (IBU). Francesca Blanc is an Urban & Regional Planner at the LINKS Foundation, coordinating international projects focused on mobility justice, public space, and citizen engagement. She is a member of the UNESCO Chair on Intermediary Cities and the International Society of City and Regional Planners. Giancarlo Cotella is a full professor of urban and regional planning at Politecnico di Torino. Since 2023, he has been serving as Secretary General of AESOP, the Association of European Schools of Planning.